There once was a man
by AOG
Summary: A new teacher arives at Mahora, and things begin to chage drasticly.
1. Chapter 1

There Once Was a Man

Prologue

"What's this?" Xander said raising an eyebrow at the extremely long katana Coach Harris handed him. Coach Harris just smiled and adjusted his glasses, "Take all your weapons, you'll need them." He said with a chuckle as he walked away. The katana was taller than Xander, who wasn't tall to begin with, around 5"6'. It was heavy and hard to hold with one hand. With a flick of his wrist the blade arced through the air with a whoosh. He swung it a few more times to make sure the balance was right. It was perfect. "I don't see why I need to bring all these weapons to an all girl school anyway." Xander grumbled. "Shut it," Coach Harris shouted jabbing his finger into Xander's chest "Nick and Michael have already started their missions, but this one is of the utmost importance. Don't underestimate anything." "Now state your name, class, rank, and age." Coach Harris ordered. "Xander Suttles, High Day-light Walker Vampire, Lt. Colonel, age16, sir."

Chapter 1: New Teacher

"Yes, I do understand the importance of my task." Xander said into cell phone. Standing atop a building near the Mahora High School he had a great view of the surrounding area. The sound of Chief's constant bitching buzzed though the phone. "Yes, I understand what will happen if I fail." Xander answered to the Chief's whining. He closed the phone with a click, just as the late bell rang in the school and a voice came over the intercom, "Xander-sensei, please report to your classroom right away."

All sorts of curses fell from Xander's mouth as he hoped from rooftop to rooftop. Xander jumped from the rooftop to a window on the side of the school. As Xander neared the window he saw that it was closed. "Open the window!" Xander shouted. The window started to move upwards and a white haired and tanned skinned girl stuck her head out of the window. She was Zazie. Zazie jerked her head back into the room so Xander could fly though the window. He hit the floor and rolled right into a desk and ended up looking like a massive heap of black poncho, black pants, and round reflective sunglasses.

The girls in the room giggled at Xander, who looked rather silly lying on the ground. Xander picked himself up off the ground and brushed the dust off his poncho. In a few short strides Xander crossed the room and stood in front of Zazie. "Hi, I'm Xander. Thanks for opening the window for me." He said letting his glasses slide down his nose so she could see his red eyes. Zazie's eyes locked with those blood red orbs and her knees shook. "Za Za Zazie, my name is Zazie." She stuttered. "Well thanks again for the window, Zazie. I teach History here now, do you have my class?" Xander asked pushing his glasses back up on his nose. "Yeah, I think I have your class next period." Zazie said trying to keep her legs from shaking. "Great, see you next period then, Zazie-san." Xander said with a wave and smile as he left. Zazie's knees gave out and she had to hold onto a desk to stay standing. "Looks like someone's in love." Mana jeered walking up beside Zazie. Zazie just stood there silently, knees shaking; she was right, but too arrogant to admit it.

"Good afternoon class." Xander said sitting atop his podium in front off the class as the bell rang. "Good afternoon Xander-sensei." The class responded. Then Xander open up the class with notes on ancient Mesopotamia. Zazie sat in the back of the room with Mana. Her hands were shaking so badly that she could barely hold on to her pencil to take notes. Her notes on ancient Mesopotamia were going nowhere fast. "Are you okay Zazie?" Mana asked quietly. Zazie's small shaking had turned into a full body tremble. "I'm ok." Zazie said softly between chattering teeth. "Is it him?" Mana asked nodding her head at Xander, who was busy writing notes on ancient Mesopotamia on the chalkboard. Zazie swallowed hard and nodded. Mana raised her eyebrow in a questioning manner. "He's kind of cute I'll admit and he is your age, but he looks like the kind of guy who has been with a girl or two before. I can see why you like him." Mana said propping her chin on her hand. "Really?" Zazie asked, her hands twisting in her skirt. "You should ask him out." Mana said winking at Zazie. "Wah, I can't do that." Zazie said shocked. Right Zazie said that Xander asked the class "I'm still looking for a place to stay, does anybody have room?" Zazie stood bolt upright and her hand shot up in the air. The class seemed to freeze for a moment as everyone stared at Zazie. "Ah, Zazie-san, thanks for taking me in. You'll have to show me where your room is after class." Xander thanked her with a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Blood and Secrets.

"Quaint." Xander said examining Mana and Zazie's room. "So which bed do I get?" Xander asked eyeing the two beds push against the wall. "You're sleeping on the couch bozo!" Mana said pointing a finger at Xander. "Well I guess that's fair." Xander said putting his bag down on the couch. "I pretty tried anyway so I'll just grab some dinner and hit the sack." He said stretching his arms above his head. "I'll start cooking diner then." Mana said as she put down her school books and walked into the kitchen.

With a whir Xander's cell phone went off. He grabbed the cell phone and flipped open the top to view the message. Xander's eyes opened wide for a moment and narrowed again. "Actually," Xander said grabbing a long cloth wrapped object from his bag and walking out the door, "I have something to do. I be home late, so don't save any dinner."

Mana poked her head out of the kitchen to look at Zazie, who gazed longingly at Xander walking down the hallway. "Where do you think he's going?" Mana asked walking up behind Zazie. "Don't know." Zazie answered softly. "Let's follow him." Mana said creeping down the hallway after Xander. "But that doesn't seem very nice." Zazie said following after Mana. Mana stopped in her tracks and spun around to face Zazie. "You're in love with him right?" Mana asked glaring at Zazie. "Yes." Zazie answered shrinking from Mana's vision. "Maybe he's going to meet with his secret lover or something. Don't you want to find out?" Mana said. "A secret lover!" Zazie exclaimed blushing as images of Xander kissing a strange woman filled her mind. "Let's go!" Zazie said as she dashed down the hallway after Xander. "That a girl." Mana cheered following her.

It was a cold night. Zazie could see her breath in the night air. A cloth floated down from the sky. It was the same cloth Xander's mysterious package was wrapped in. "Look." Mana said pointing out toward the bridge that connects the school to the rest of the town. Xander was standing on the bridge, an extremely long katana shining in the moonlight. Another man stood a short distance from him. They didn't look like they were getting along. Zazie and Mana crept along the bushes until they were close enough to hear what they were talking about.

"Were the same you and I," The other man said to Xander, "Why don't you join me, and we could easily beat anyone who stood in our path." Xander grinned slightly. A low chuckle broke the air. "Ha, ha ha ha ha. As if you could defeat anyone." Xander laughed. Xander's katana arced through the air toward the other man. The other man jumped back, but not far enough. The extremely long reach of Xander's katana was too long to dodge and it tore a slash across the other man's chest. Blood splattered on the ground like paint. "Stay away from my students you vampire." Xander said pointing his katana threateningly at the vampire. "You are a vampire too you traitor." The vampire said clutching the wound on his chest. "Shut up." Xander said swinging his katana again. But the vampire was ready this time and he jumped over the blade. Xander brought the katana around from the last slash and thrust it into the vampire's abdomen and then turned it quickly into a slash nearly tearing the vampire in two. The vampire fell to the ground near the bush where Mana and Zazie were hiding. "That one hurt." The vampire said rising to his feet, clutching his side. Without a word Xander swung his sword again. The vampire jumped backwards though the bush, bumping into Mana and Zazie.

The vampire struck out at them. Mana rolled to the side, but he caught Zazie by the throat. He held Zazie by the throat and pulled her close to him. Zazie was terrified, her eyes wide, mouth agape, she stared out in front of her. A pistol pressed against the vampire's head, it was Mana. "Do you really think that can hurt me?" The vampire asked. "Yes." Mana said and pulled the trigger. The bullet left a hole the size of a half-dollar in the vampire's head. He staggered back but did not fall, his extended arm still held Zazie by the throat. The vampire's head snapped up strait, a very pissed off look on his face. He raised his arm to strike at Mana.

Xander katana flew through the air. It impaled itself in the vampire's arm that was holding Zazie's throat. Xander put his hands together and made a series of hand signs. A crackling ball of lighting appeared in his right hand. Xander lunged forward then disappeared, then reappeared right in front of the vampire. "Chidori!" Xander called out.

Xander's arm pierced through the left side of the vampire's chest up to Xander's bicep. The vampire let out a howl and turned into a pile of dust, which quickly blew away in the wind.

Zazie fell to her hands and knees, shaking violently. "OK, who are you really?" Mana shouted at Xander, who was picking his katana off the ground. "I told you already, I'm Xander Suttles, your new history teacher." Xander answered helping Zazie off the ground. "Are you OK?" he asked. Zazie just shook her head yes, her eyes still open wide. "No, I meant what was that move? Why do you have that sword?" Mana asked pointing a finger at Xander. "Fine I'll tell you." Xander said holding Zazie shoulders to keep her from shaking. "I'm Xander Suttles, an officer in the organization I belong to, I was sent here to find candidates for a secret project to train soldiers for our military." Xander said explaining it all to them. "You're not too good with secrets are you?" Mana asked raising an eyebrow. "No not really," Xander said, "I never have been too good with secrets." "I can tell." Mana said. "But why did they pick you to do this?" Zazie, who had stopped shaking, asked.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Xander Lament

"Well I tell you," Xander said,

(Singing)

"There are few who'd deny, at what I do I am the best  
For my talents are renowned far and wide  
When it comes to battles on a bloody field  
I excel without ever even trying  
With the slightest little effort of my Ninja skills _Walks around crouched_

I have seen grown men fall down and die  
With the wave of my sword and a well placed shot _Making his fingers into a gun_  
I have swept the very bravest off their feet

Yet year after year, it's the same routine _Hangs his head_  
And I grow so weary of the sound of screams  
And I, Xander, The Vampire King _pounding his fist into his chest_  
Have grown so tired of the same old thing _shrugs_

Oh, somewhere deep inside of these bones _walks away from Mana and Zazie _An emptiness began to grow _spreading his arms_  
There's something out there, far from my home _looks up at the sky_  
A longing that I've never known

I'm a master of fright, and a demon of light _turns back to face them_  
And I'll kill you right were you stand.  
To a guy in Kentucky, I'm Mister Unlucky   
And I'm known throughout England and France _pushing up his glasses_

And when you are dead I will take off your head  
To recite Shakespearean quotations _holds out his hand like Shakespeare_  
No animal nor man can fight like I can _draws his sword_  
With the fury of my recitations _raises it above his head_

But who here would ever understand _ shrugs and sheaths his sword_   
That the Vampire King with the skeleton grin _grins sadly_  
Would tire of his crown, if they only understood _stares off into the distance _  
He'd give it all up if he only could _hangs his head_

Oh, there's an empty place in my bones _walks away further_  
That calls out for something unknown _looks up at the sky_  
The fame and praise come year after year _keeps walking away._  
Does nothing for these empty tears."

"Wait Xander-sensei." Zazie shouted chasing after him, Mana reached out an arm to grab her. Xander turned to face her and she ran right into his chest, Mana following not far behind. "Is it love?" Zazie asked looking up into Xander's face. Xander seemed to flinch at the word, "Maybe," He said looking off into the distance, "I really don't know." "But you're so strong," Zazie said, her eyes welling up with tears, "and I'm so weak." "Zazie." Mana said, shocked she would say such a thing. "I want to be strong like you." Zazie said wiping a tear from her eye. Xander put his arms around her to suppress her shaking, "When ever I'm around you, or Mana, or Ku Fei, or Kaede, I feel so weak." She said, burying her face in Xander's chest, "I want to be strong like you." Xander pulled Zazie off his chest so he could see her face. "You really want to be strong?" He asked her.

"Yes." Zazie answered wiping the tears from her eyes. "Fine then." Xander said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll. "Give me your hand." Xander said hold out his free hand. Zazie reached out her hand. Xander reached under his poncho and withdrew a kunai knife. With a little pick on the finger a single drop of Zazie's blood fell on the unwrapped scroll. Xander drew in his hand made a slash across his hand with the kunai, and smeared on the entire length of scroll. He placed his hands together and did a series of hand signs. He lunged forward; scroll pressed against the palm of his hand, and placed his hand on Zazie stomach. When he withdrew his hand a Japanese character appeared on her stomach in red ink. Xander stepped back and tossed the scroll at Zazie. Zazie caught the scroll deftly. She opened her hand to look at the scroll, but it was floating a few inches from her palm. With a white flash the scroll changed, Zazie opened her eyes and she held a sliver straight sword.

It was about 3 ½ feet long and 2 ½ inches wide. She flipped the sword around and held it in a reverse grip, it felt so natural. "Now all that's left is the training," Xander said, "and you can leave that to me." "Lets go to bed," Mana said, "I've had to much excitement for one night." And stared walking back to the room. Zazie walked over to Xander, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks." She whispered, "No problem," Xander said, "training starts tomorrow." Zazie just smiled and shook her head. She had never felt so strong, so happy in all her life. As long as she's next to him everything would be OK.


End file.
